Hearings with the General District Court

General Questions

1. I've received a parking citation with which I do not agree. Can I contest it?

Yes, the registered vehicle owner may contest a parking citation in the Alexandria General District Court, Traffic Division, within three years of the citation issue date. However, if the fine is not paid, or the citation contested within 30 days after the citation is issued, a late payment fee of $25 is assessed.

2. How do I contest a parking citation?

You may contest a parking citation by requesting a hearing in the Alexandria General District Court, Traffic Division.

3.How do I schedule a hearing with the General District Court?

Hearings must be scheduled in advance and cannot be scheduled by physically appearing at the General District Court.To schedule a hearing, you must fill out the District Court Affidavit (one for each citation contested). Hearing scheduling staff will process your request then mail you information concerning your court date. If you contest a citation, you may have to pay court costs. Request an affidavit to schedule a hearing:

You must have the affidavit notarized, and return it by mail, along with copies of the citation and your driver’s license to, City of Alexandria, P.O. Box 1423, Alexandria, VA, 22313-1423. You must return the affidavit before the court date will be entered in the Traffic Court's Docket. Once you schedule a court hearing, you forfeit your ability to prepay the ticket and your request cannot be removed or adjusted by the Finance Department.

4. I have a question about completing the affidavit, or I would like to check the status of a pending hearing, where can I call?

You may call the customer service call center at 1.866.353.0454, representatives will not be able to address specific inquiries regarding the citation or payment.

5. Do I have to go to court or can the City dismiss my ticket?

Occasionally, errors occur when writing tickets. If you believe one of the following errors has occured, your ticket may qualify for a City administrative review.

Obstructed signs

Wrong owner information

Received a citation, but the vehicle owner had a Pango receipt for the violaion time

Received a citation for a City tag/Residential Parking Permit violation but the decal was displayed

Received a citation for a City tag violation, but the vehicle owner does not live within City limits

Hearings with the General District Court

1. On what days and at what times does the court hear parking citation cases?

Hearing dates and times are subject to the availability of the issuing officer and court, hearings are scheduled Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. If you schedule a hearing in the District Court, you will be required to appear in court at 9:30 a.m. and wait until your case is called. Please note that this does not mean that your case will be heard at 9:30 a.m., only that you must be present in court at that time.

2. What if I cannot attend the hearing date?

If you cannot appear on your assigned court date, contact the General District Court at 703-746-4041. The Court will decide what course of action you must take.

3. What happens if the parking citation I've contested with the court is upheld?

If the citation is upheld, you will be assessed the original fine plus any court costs, court costs are typically $63 but are at the discretion of the judge.